Two player operated game with common target



United States Patent [7 21 Inventor Russel A. Morehouse 23217 100th W., Edmonds, Washington 98020 [21] Appl. No. 718,546

[22] Filed April 3, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 [54] TWO PLAYER OPERATED GAME WITH 3,190,656 6/1965 Weisbecker 273/138 3,460,833 8/1969 Killoren i. 273/122X FOREIGN PATENTS 521,165 7/1953 Belgium 273/11 723,507 1/1965 Canada 273/121 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerTheatrice Brown Attorney-Clinton L. Mathis ABSTRACT: A game device is disclosed having two ascending ramps meeting at a midportion concave surface having holes therethrough. A ball may be shot up either of said ramps and will drop through one of said holes. The concave surface is surrounded by a circular side wall having entrance passageways from said ramps and the entrance passageways to said concave surface are preferably tangent to said circular side wall and are diametrically oppositely disposed. Below the concave surface are declining ramps to return the ball to one end or the other of the game board depending upon the hole in the concave surface through which the ball drops. One of said holes is centrally located and a knife edge is in registration therewith so that chance or lot determines to which end of the game board the ball is returned.

. Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,367

I g Russa IWEZZZSE %3 ATTORNEY TWO PLAYER OPERATED GAME WITH COMMON TARGET My invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel game device of the pin ball type and especially wife, or other members of the family can play for the amusement of the players and the spectators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game device which lends itself to natural skill which is augmented by practice, thus making the game highly interesting, entertaining, competitive, and which will keep both players engaged during the play of the game even though only one of the players is shooting the ball. v

A further object is to provide a relatively long board and relatively narrow so that the board can be easily stored and easily placed upon usual supports available around the home.

Additional objects are to provide a game board having a midportion in the form of a concave surface portion for receiving thereon a ball rolled upwardly, or shot, from either end portion of the upper deck of the game device. Such upper deck is provided with a plurality of holes therein through which a ball may drop and some of said holes are target holes for one of the players and nontarget holes for such player whereas a middle hole is in the nature of a chance hole where the ball passing therethrough may or may not be favorable to the player shooting .the same. Below the upper deck and in registration with the holes in the concave surface portion is a lower deck portion having ramps or ball channels therein so that the ball can be returned to the shooter or his opponent depending uponthe success, in most instances, of the shot and sometimes as a matter ofchance.

The foregoing objects of my invention,'together with those inherent or implicit in the same, will be apparent as the description of my invention and the drawings proceed, and in which drawings like reference numerals 'will indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view ofa game device embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on broken line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view with parts in section and taken substantially on broken line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

invention and the illustration thereof in the drawings, a base is provided by any suitable material such as plywood, hardboard, metal or the like to provide for desired rigidity and support for the other parts of my game device. Thebase 10 is rectangular in plan to provide a relatively long longitudinal dimension and need not be very wide for functional purposes of my game. For decorative purposes other shapes than a rectangle may be employed and'they will provide the desired longitudinal and transverse, or width, dimensions. This base 10 supports a longitudinally extending upper deckover which a ball may be rolled from each end portion thereof in the longitudinal direction ofthe base 10. This upper deck comprises two ramps 12 and l4which are ascending ramps and rise to the level of the centrally located concave surface portion 16. The concave surface portion 16 is centrally located or is a midportion of the game device longitudinally consideredand the ramps 12'and 14 are preferably in the form ofgutters or channels to confine the travel of a ball rolling on said ramps 12 and 14 in a definite path until the same reaches the concave surface portion 16.

cluded therein will provide the force necessary for propelling a ball and at a rate determined by the extent ofcompression of the spring before the plunger is released. The ball-propelling means 18 and ball-propelling station 20 at the end portion 26 of the device are duplicated at the end portion 28 of the device by the ball-propelling mechanism 22 and ball propelling station 24. The game is designed to be played by two players stationed at the respective end portions 26 and 28 of the device.

A center frame, 30 cooperates with the base 10 in supporting the various parts of the invention, such as the ramps 12 and 14, and the concave surface portion 16. Also, a suitable transparent dust cover may be employed to cover the entire device and be supported by the base 10 or the center frame 30 or both thereof. However, as such a cover performs no other functional feature in connection with my device, the same has not been shown as the same (end 28) tend to the drawings. of the concave surface portion 16 and which said centerline will pass The concave surface portion 16 has a plurality of holes therein of a size to permit the ball 32 to readily pass through any one of said holes. The holes through said concave surface portion 16 comprise a center hole 34 which is centrally of the concave recess 16. The holes 36 in the concave surface portion 16 are toward, or in the direction of, one end (end 28) of the transverse centerline of the concave surface portion 16 and which said centerline will pass through center hole 34, while the holes 38 are through the concave surface portion 16 and toward the other end portion thereof (toward end 26).

Below the concave surface portion 16 is a lower deck onto which a ball 32 may be deposited as said ball drops through any of the holes 34, 36, or 38. The lower deck comprises two descending ramps 40 and 42 which are again preferably in the form of gutters having side walls so that a ball traveling either on the ramp 40 M42 will be confined in its travel and a ball traveling down ramp 40 will continue toward ball-propelling station 20 until stopped by ball gate 44. A ball 32 so arrested by ball gate 44 will not move into ball-propelling station 20 until the ball gate 44 is moved out of ball-stopping position. Likewise, a ball traveling down descending ramp 42, which will be similar in construction to the descending ramp 40, will move until said ball is stopped by ball gate 46 and will not move into ball-propelling station 22 until ball gate 46 is moved out of ball-stopping position. A ball stopped by either ball gate 44 or 46 will be at a slightly higher elevation than the elevation of ball-propelling stations 20 and 24 and thus a ball 32 will move 'by gravity into ball-propelling station 20 or 24 upon removal or release of the ball gate 44 or 46. Arcuate side walls 48 provide guide means so that a ball 32 dropping through any of the holes 34, 36, or 38 will enter-onto and travel down one of the gutters 42 or-40 depending upon the location of the holes 36 and 38 as to their location longitudinally of the device.

Directly below the center hole 34 is a knife edge 50 which is located transversely of the device and centered below the hole 34. Thus, the knife edge 50 is disposed in a plane which is the transverse center line of the concave surface portion 16. In view of the centering of said hole 34 with the transverse centerline in which the knife edge 50 is disposed, a ball 32 dropping through said hole 34 will have the mathematical pos sibility of substantially 50 percent to travel either down the ramp 40 toward the end 26 of the device or down the ramp 42 toward the other end 28 of the device. However, as to a ball 32 falling through the openings 38, they should substantially always travel'down the ramp 40 toward the end 26 of the device, whereas a ball 32 falling through any of the holes 36 should substantially always travel down the ramp 42 toward the end 28 of the device.

The device of my invention designed for two players, one stationed at the end 26 of the device and the other stationed at the end 28 of the device. To start the game, the players may determine, by lot or chance, the one thereof who is to be the first player. One way of determining who is the first player and by lot or skill, is to determine the number of shots which it will take for a given player to drop the ball 32 through the center hole 34. If no dust cover is provided, then the ball 32 can be initially located in the ball-propelling station or 24 as desired. However, if adust cover is provided, then the ball will (after a previous game) be resting at one end or the other of the device in descending ramp 40 or 42 and against a ball gate 44 or 46. Thus, the first player may be selected as the player at the end ofboard where the ball'36 is located.

An important feature of my invention is that the ball gate 44, at the end 26 of the device, is operated by a rod 52 terminating in a thumb. engagable knob 54 located at the end 28 of the device. Similarly, the ball gate 46 at the end 28 of the device is operated by a rod 56 having a knob 58 located at the end 26 of the device. in other words, each player operates the ball gate 44 or 46 of his opponent. A desirable rule of the game is that each time a ball 32 is returned to a player, such player will receive a point toward the total number of points for which the game is being played and it adds to the amusement and pleasure of the gamefor a successful player to require his opponent to release or to call gimme the ball. Also, it adds to the accuracy in shooting the ball 32 to have a known target.

Assuming the player at the end 26 of the game starts the play, the player at the end 28 will move the rod 52 by finger engaging the knob 54 and the ball will move into the ballpropelling station at the end 26 of the board. Then the player at the end 26 will operate the ball-propelling mechanism 18 and pull the plunger the desired or selected extent so that the I ball will be projected up ramp l2 and onto the concave surface 16 and the ball will travel in a helical path (see particularly FIG. 4) as indicated by the broken lines and arrows on the surface of the concave surface portion 16. Circular side walls 60 having entrance openings for the ramps 12 and 14 are provided and if a ball is shot at a very rapid speed, the ball 32 will make a number of circular passageways resting against the side wall 60 before the ball speed is reduced so that it will travel in circular paths of lesser diameter on the concave surface portion 16 and will eventually fall through one of the holes 34, 36, or 38. With practice in propelling the ball up the or ramps 12 and 14, many players become skillful and adept so that they increase their chances of being able to drop the ball through one of the holes 38, 36. Thus, if the player at the end portion 26 is able to shoot the ball through one of the holes 38, the ball will be returned via the descending ramp 40 and rest against the ballgate 44 and each time such player is able to repeat such a performance, such a player will receive one pointtoward the game total number for which the game is being played, such as 21. Also, the associated request from an opponent to gimme" the ball provides for bragging, crowing," chiding, or other vocal releases for successful shot by a player or a reminder to his opponent of an unsuccessful shot.

In general, my game device provides a longitudinally extending upper deck over which a ball 32 a may be rolled and more specifically, said upper deck comprises two ramps 12 and 14 which ascend from the end portions 26 and 28 of the device to a longitudinally midportion of the board. At such midportion of the boardis a concave surface portion 16 for receiving thereon a ball 32 which is rolled upwardly toward the center from either of the ramps 12 or 14. Preferably, each of the ramps 12 and 14 has a bottom and sidewall so that a channel is formed so that there is a definite predetermined path of travel of a ball 32. The concave surface portion 16 preferably is surrounded by a circular sidewall 60 and the channels 12 and 14 enter the concave surface portion 16 tangentially and throughopenings in .the circular sidewall 60 which openings are diametrically opposed. A ball 32 after entering the concave surface portion 16 which is walled by circularsidewall will tend to rotate in circular paths and the number of turns or rotations will depend upon the speed at which the ball 32 enters upon the concave surface portion 16. Thereafter, the ball 32 will gradually migrate toward the center of the concave surface portion l6 and at a rate depending upon the original speed the ball was traveling up a ramp 12 or 14. Due to the concavity of the surface portion 16, a ball 32 will always drop through one of the holes 34, 36, or 38. For a player at the end portion 26 to be able to cause the ball 32 to drop through one of his holes 38 requires skill resulting from practice and natural ability. This is likewise true as to a player at the end portion 28 propelling his ball up the ramp l4 and onto the concave surface portion l6 and with the desire of seeking to cause the ball to drop through one of the holes 36. if a player is not successful in causing a ball to drop through one of his selected-holes and is fortunate enough not to have the ball drop through the selected holes of an opponent, then the ball will always. as a last resort, drop through the center hole 34. l have located in connection with the center hole, the alined transversely extending knife edge 50 so that generally lot or chance will determine whether a ball dropping through such a center hole 34 will be returned to a player or delivered to his opponent.

After a ball has dropped through one of the holes 34, 36, or 38 in the concave surface portion 16, the ball will be returned to the shooter or delivered to his opponent (depending upon the hole through which the ball dropped) and within the confines of the arcuate side walls 48 of the lower deck.

Balls on the lower deck are returned to the shooter or returned to an opponent by the descending ramps 40 and 42. These descending ramps 40 and 42 are also preferably channels having a bottom and side walls so that the passage of the balls against a ball gate 44 or a ball gate 46 is along a predetermined path. When a ball 32 is resting against a ball gate 44 or against a ball gate 46, the player at the associated end 26 or 28 of the board cannot release the ball into a ball-propelling station 20 or 24 without the aid ofhis oppeaent. As previously indicated, this adds to the amusement and enjoyment of the game by a player requesting from an opponent to gimme the ball. After a ball gate 44 or 46 is released by an opponent, then a player is in a position to shoot the ball 32 by manipulation of a ball-propelling mechanism 18 or 22.

Obviously, changes may be made in the forms, dimensions, and arrangements of theparts of my invention without departing from the principle thereof, the above setting forth only a preferred form of embodiment of my invention.

lclaim:

1. A game device for play by two players located at opposite end portions of a table and with both players using a common ball comprising a longitudinally extending upper deck over which a ball may be rolled from each end portion thereof toward a midportion thereof, said upper deck comprising two ramps ascending from each end portion of the upper deck to a midportion thereof; a ball for successive use by both players and for rolling on said upper deck; a midportion concave surface portion for receiving thereon said ball rolled upwardly from either end portion over said upper deck, said concave surface portion having a plurality of holes therein each of a size to permit said ball to pass therethrough and with one of said holes towardone end of thetransverse centerline of said concave surface portion and with one of said holes toward the other end of said center line; a longitudinally extending lower deck onto which said ball may be deposited after passing through a hole in said concave surface portion, said lower deck comprising two ramps, each descending from said center line toward an end portion of said lower deck and with the upper end of each ramp alined with the hole through the concave surface portion at the same end of the said transverse line; a ball-propelling station disposed on each opposite end portion of said upper deck and alined to receive therein a ball rolling down the associated descending ramp; ball-propelling means for urging a ball from the ball-propelling station at each end portion of the upper deck over said upper deck, and onto 3. The combination of claim I wherein said concave surface portion has a centrally alined opening therein and said lower deck has an upwardly projecting transversely disposed knife edge alined with the transversecenterline of said concave surface portion, whereby a ball dropping through said centrally alined opening may travel toward one or the other end portions of said lower deck. 

